Trying to make sense of all of the different OPAC options, their costs, special features and relationship to my students' needs and other, connected concerns was a bit of a nightmare. The bottom line, for me, was that it felt much like shopping for a car: no company wanted to give specifics on prices, but instead wanted you to call a sales rep. Similarly, it was difficult to figure out, in many cases, exactly what one would get for the money. Follett did a pretty good job of laying out their services on line, but price? Koha made price pretty clear, but features?
I am left with a better understanding of the various options out there, and some of the criteria necessary to evaluate them, but still far from knowing what the ideal OPAC would be for my district.
It can be frustrating. They really want to come in and do a demo because they figure they can talk you into it if you fall in love... It makes it harder for our purposes in this class, but you do what you can!
ReplyDeleteInteresting. I suppose that's why so many sales reps call me all the time. I've been trained to hang up, and do. It's very frustrating. I'd like the info, but not the pressure.
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